


The Pirate and The Mermaid

by ashesrose



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/F, Mermaid Annabeth Chase, pirate piper mclean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 12:38:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7845250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashesrose/pseuds/ashesrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At first, they were never meant to meet. It seemed as if everything in the world was working to keep them apart. But, once fate makes a decision, nothing else matters. Fate seems to go against rules a lot, doesn’t it? Fate will do anything and everything to unite two people, no matter what it takes. Fate doesn’t “play by the rules.” Piper and Annabeth. They were fate. This is the story of the pirate and the mermaid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pirate and The Mermaid

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! My fanfiction for @rarepairproject. I worked very hard on this and I’m pretty proud of myself. (It’s the longest fic I’ve ever written :O) Be sure to check out @rachelfuckingdare‘s edit on tumblr to go along with this story because she’s amazing! Also, check out my tumblr, @sayhellotothepoodlepercy!!

At first, they were never meant to meet. It seemed as if everything in the world was working to keep them apart. But, once fate makes a decision, nothing else matters. Fate seems to go against rules a lot, doesn’t it? Fate will do anything and everything to unite two people, no matter what it takes. Fate doesn’t “play by the rules.” Piper and Annabeth. They were fate. This is the story of the pirate and the mermaid.

 

~

 

“Annabeth, wake up!” yelled the voice of her stepmother. Annabeth turned over and groaned. _Just five more minutes_ , the girl thought. Her stepmother wasn’t having it.

 

“Annabeth, get up now! You have school today!” Annabeth slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. She pushed the locks of curly blonde hair out of her face and took a breath of the morning water. She was never a morning person, but still loved the feeling and smell of the ocean in the morning. It felt so calm and peaceful. Well, it felt calm and peaceful once she drowned out the background noises of her family and city. Mornings were always chaotic in her home. Annabeth’s brothers would swim around, occasionally yelling and breaking things. Her step-mother would yell at them to sit down and eat their breakfast. Her father was the only quiet one. He sat and watched the news, getting ready for work.

 

Annabeth slowly brought herself back to reality and swam off her bed. She headed over to a mirror to take a look at her reflection. Groggy and tired, Annabeth’s usual morning look. She grabbed her shell comb and ran it through her hair, attempting to maintain the wild curls. She managed to make them less fierce and let her hair frame her face. Annabeth grabbed her belt with a sheath and her dagger. She wrapped the belt around her waist, just resting it on her grayish blue shimmering tail. She loved how the scales seemed to sparkle. Annabeth slipped the knife into the sheath and made sure it was tucked in. She always felt much safer with a weapon on her. Annabeth put on a thin silver top with no buttons. The top’s bottom stopped around the end of Annabeth’s breasts. It wasn’t mandatory for mermaids to cover up, but Annabeth liked to be a little modest. Annabeth took one last look in the mirror. She nodded at her reflection and swam downstairs to the kitchen.

 

Upon arriving, she saw her twin brothers aggressively having a “who can eat their breakfast faster” contest. Her stepmother was trying to stop them before food got everywhere, but the boys didn’t listen. Annabeth went over to her father and kissed his cheek.

 

“Morning Dad,” she greeted.

 

“Good morning Annabeth,” he replied. Annabeth grabbed some toast and a glass of orange juice. She then sat down at the table to eat.

 

“Matthew! Bobby! Calmly eat your breakfast, now!” instructed Annabeth’s stepmother.

 

Annabeth quietly ate her breakfast, not having an entertaining topic to bring up at the breakfast table. She was usually quiet at meals. If she said anything, her stepmother would probably twist Annabeth’s words against her. Yes, Annabeth had the cliché “evil stepmother.” She wasn't all that bad. She took care of Annabeth’s family well, and loved Matthew and Bobby no matter how much she yelled at them. She also loved Annabeth’s father. Annabeth however, didn't appeal to her stepmother. She'd frequently yell at Annabeth and argue against her. Annabeth was always the one stuck doing everything around the house on top of her college schoolwork. She knew how to take it though. Annabeth was smart, sensible, and didn't let her step-mother’s harsh behavior bring her down.

 

She quickly finished her breakfast and headed off. Saying goodbye to her family, Annabeth swam through the hall and to the door. She picked up her bag and tablet with all her books on it. (Mermaids were able to figure out technology, how else would they run a city?) Annabeth swam out the door of her house and into the city.

 

Annabeth liked the City of Nera. It had all her favorite shops and restaurants and the buildings were beautiful. Most buildings were colored turquoise, white, or gold. Excluding the houses, each building looked like a small castle. Annabeth found the intricate details astonishing. She dreamed of being an architect for Nera one day.

 

There was just one flaw with the City of Nera. The rules were **extremely** strict. Annabeth felt like she couldn't go anywhere or do anything. There were rules and limitations of all kinds; minor and major. One of the smaller but annoying ones is that you need an ID to get into any building except your own house. Annabeth forgot her ID going to school once. It was a nightmare. But, the little rules weren’t exactly the problem. The major ones were. The city had three most important rules. The first was no interacting with any creatures outside of the city’s barrier. Only interact with merpeople and fish. ABSOLUTELY NO HUMAN INTERACTION IS PERMITTED. The second was nobody comes in without permission and nobody leaves without permission. The third was if any merperson is caught interacting with a human they will be killed. Annabeth found these rules ridiculous, medieval even. But, there was reason behind them. Annabeth remembered learning about the wars every year in history class. There were horrible battles where hundreds of merpeople were brutally murdered by vicious humans. The merpeople finally got rid of the humans, but they suffered a great loss. The rules were to make sure nothing like those wars happened again. But, Annabeth was _sick_ of those rules. She wanted to explore more of the ocean and more cities. She wanted to meet new creatures and see other buildings. She was even curious about humans. She wanted to know about their culture, their world, find out if they were really that bad. Annabeth desperately wanted to meet a human. But, she couldn't risk her life for it.

 

Annabeth knew she’d never meet a human. But she could settle for something else. Annabeth knew of a secret passageway that led out of the city’s barrier. She found it while exploring the small area that she had to explore. It was ancient. There were old scratches and drawings carved into the hard dark blue rock surrounded by seaweed. Annabeth thought about it and came to the conclusion that the markings were made by mermaids during the time of war. The drawings looked oddly like battle plans and the words were too faded to read. The passage must have been used for fighters to leave the city to battle humans. It was hidden well, behind a load of seaweed, and it camouflaged very well with its surroundings. Annabeth had only gone through the passage twice, and she never dared to go further than about ten feet, in fear of being caught. But, Annabeth was done with the rules. She wanted to find something. She wouldn't find a human, but she had to discover something out there. Something new. Annabeth made her decision, after school, she’d leave the city.

 

~

 

The morning waves were calming to Piper. She could always count on blocking out everything and listening to the crashing water in the distance to calm her down. Of course, the ocean was silent that day. Piper closed her eyes and leaned over the hull of the ship, breathing in the salty scent of the sea. Even when there was no waves, Piper felt at home on the ocean. Just as she was calming down, she heard a voice calling towards her.

 

“McLean!” yelled the voice. Piper turned around to see her crew mate. Percy Jackson, the assistant captain of the ship, the Wolf of Jupiter. You could argue that Percy was the most skilled pirate on the ship. He seemed to be the strongest when he fought. But, so did the captain. And she inherited the position of captain, so skill was worthless. Good thing she was skilled.

 

Percy continued speaking, “Captain Ramirez-Arellano wants to speak to you in her quarters.”

 

“Alright, I'll be there,” Piper replied. She walked past Percy, who went to do his other business. Piper began to walk across the ship. She looked at the people around her. She saw about three people leaning over a map, studying and drawing marks on it. It was no doubt a guide to another gang or treasure. The ship Piper was apart of was a gang of pirates. They stole and fought other pirate gangs often. They traveled the seas, searching for treasures and potential crew mates for the ship. They had many loyal and important pirates in the gang. Piper knew she was important to the ship. She was one of the most skilled fighters, excluding the captain and assistant captain. She loved living on the ship. Becoming a pirate was the best thing that happened to her. She started out as a kidnapped princess, from the Kingdom of Venus. She hated the life as a princess. Of course, she was grateful for all the things she had, but all Piper wanted was an escape from the gowns, dinners, and royal behavior. Her parents even tried to marry her off to some prince that she barely knew. The princess-napping onto the ship was rough at first. She was kept as a prisoner and was assigned chores like scrubbing the deck. She had little to no freedom during that period of time. Soon, Piper proved herself worthy of being a pirate. She worked with her new friends Leo and Jason, who were elite pirates, and was able to become a respected pirate herself. Things were great ever since.

 

Piper shook herself out of her daydream down memory lane and stared at the door in front of her. Piper hoped she wasn’t in trouble for some reason. The captain didn't fool around with punishments. Captain Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano was tough, badass, and a great captain. She gave orders well and managed everything skillfully. She also scared the shit out of most of the crew mates. But, Piper had a way of working around her and making her break her tough shell. Piper confidently opened the door and plastered her troublemaker smirk onto her face.

 

Reyna was sitting at her desk, going through papers. She was wearing typical pirate captain attire. A feathered hat, a long coat, a pirate blouse, and long pants that she rolled up. Her hair was left down, flowing down her tall back.

 

“Hello Piper,” Reyna said, without looking up from the papers that she was going through. “Come sit.” She gestured to the chair in front of her. Piper gulped. She was in trouble. She walked towards the chair and sat down.

 

“Okay, if I'm in trouble it was probably Leo’s idea,” Piper exclaimed.

 

The corners of Reyna’s lips tugged upward for a second. “You’re not in trouble Piper,” she said. “I just wanted to talk to you about your scheduling for the next month.”

 

Piper let out a sigh of relief. Even being able to break Reyna’s composure wouldn't stop her from getting a punishment. She leaned forward, ready to have a conversation.

 

“Yo! Piper! Come sit!” Leo exclaimed. It was hours later, dinner time. Most pirates were underneath the top deck in the dining area. Piper had just finished getting her food from the buffet table and walked to sit down. She sat a table with most of her friends. Leo, Jason, and Frank were all pirates. Calypso was the ship’s witch. Her spells and incantations were a big help on the ship. Piper’s only friend that she didn't sit with was Percy. He sat with Reyna at the captain’s table. Piper dug into her food as Leo talked about the “absolutely crazy” thing that happened to him that day. Piper wasn't really listening, her food was more interesting.

 

After eating for a while, Reyna quieted the noisy room of hungry bandits. At almost every meal, the captains made announcements to the rest of the crew. Sometimes it was about upcoming battles, sometimes responsibilities for the day, and sometimes it was new rules. Piper turned her head towards the captain’s table where both Reyna and Percy were standing. But, something was odd. Another pirate was standing next to them, and it was the pirate Piper despised the most. Octavian was, well, an asshole. He always came up with plans that benefited him, trashed other pirates, and worst of all, had high authority on the ship. He wasn't like Reyna or Percy, but disrespecting him wouldn't end well.

 

“Alright everyone.” Reyna’s voice spread through the room. “We have two announcements for today’s lunch. The first is that the schedules for the next two weeks are ready and you can pick them up in their usual spot. The second, is a new rule that has been established.”

 

Chatter broke out among the pirates. New rules were only made on a couple occasions. They were usually made when the pirates were running low on necessities or they were fighting or about to fight another gang.

 

Reyna passed the attention to Octavian, who cleared his throat and began to speak. “From now on, any mermaid or merman that is seen will be captured. Merpeople have the potential to lead us to other merpeople and merpeople kingdoms, where we can raid their cities and steal their possessions.” The room suddenly got loud, filled with people voicing their opinions. Piper’s mouth formed into a small “o” shape. She was shocked. Octavian couldn't do this. Merpeople were people too. Yes, Piper’s gang stole from other gangs, but they knew what they were signing up for when becoming pirates. The merpeople did nothing wrong. They didn't deserve to be hurt or stolen from. Piper scanned the room. It seemed as if everyone had different opinions. Some agreed with Piper and others supported the idea.

 

“Quiet!” Reyna yelled. “Listen, whether you like the rule or not, you must follow it. We are not changing it. There's reasoning behind it. Capturing merpeople will be very beneficial for us. So, we will be following this rule. Now, go back to your lunch.” Reyna stopped talking and sat down, her eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed.

 

“Wait!” Leo blurted out. “How would we raid the cities of merpeople if they are underwater?” He did have a point, but Piper knew that a solution would be found.

 

“Easy,” Octavian scoffed. “Calypso uses a spell so we can breathe underwater. You can do that, right Calypso?”

 

“Yes, Octavian,” she replied. Piper could tell she didn't approve of the rule either, but there was nothing that she could do.

 

“That settles it,” Octavian said with a devilish smirk. Piper wanted to smack that smirk right off his face. She must have looked angry because Octavian then taunted, “Calypso, why don't you calm down Miss. McLean? She seems frustrated that you all can't listen to her instead.”

 

After that remark, Octavian sat down and everyone went back to lunch, this time with a new conversation topic. Piper was still fuming. “I fucking hate him. Mermaids and mermen are people too. We can't just capture them.”

 

“He does have a point, Piper. It could be really helpful to us. And we always steal from other gangs. You have no problem with that. Isn't that a little hypocritical?” Calypso said, trying to be rational.

 

“We don't capture other pirates, do we? And they knew what was coming when they signed up to be pirates. Merpeople are innocent.”

 

“I agree with Pipes,” Leo added.

 

“Thank you,” Piper groaned, exasperated at the new change. Hopefully, they wouldn't come across any innocent merpeople.

 

Hours after lunch and the new rule change, something felt off on the ship. Piper was in her sleeping quarters. She was doodling on a small piece of paper with no purpose. She was currently in the middle of her break. Piper thought she heard something strange on deck. Then came the yelling. Yelling was pretty common on a ship filled with reckless pirates so Piper thought almost nothing of it. But when Leo burst into Piper’s quarters, she knew something was wrong.

 

“Piper!” He gasped for air as he tried to speak, obviously exhausted from running. “Another gang, the Titans, they're attacking. Their shipped showed up out of nowhere and they made their way onto ours. You've got to come up and fight,” Leo finished telling Piper and ran out to help and tell others.

 

“Shit!” Piper muttered to herself as she grabbed her dagger, Katoptris (which was laying by her hammock) and ran. The Titans were a long time enemy of Piper’s gang. The two gangs were often at each other's throats. Although Piper had fought The Titans countless times, they were still incredibly dangerous. One of the pirates’ lowest moments was when The Titans attacked and stole over a half of their treasure and necessities. Piper didn't want that to happen again.

 

When Piper reached the deck, it was absolute chaos. Pirates fighting other pirates. Weapons clashing. Voices yelling. Occasionally, the booming of a cannon or shotgun rattled Piper’s brain. It was overwhelming, but Piper did her best to search for a Titan causing trouble. She frantically turned her head back and forth until she found a pirate making his way towards a stash of food. She dashed towards the bandit and threw herself in front of his path.

 

It's normally quite challenging to fight with a dagger, but Piper was well-trained and knew what she was doing. She brandished her weapon and prepared for a fight. Catching the bandit off guard, she jabbed at his shoulder. Piper didn't like to kill, even the pirates who were raiding the ship. Piper always aimed to wound and/or knock out. The pirate dodged Piper’s blow by a hair and brought his weapon up, a large silver sword. It was intimidating, but Piper was confident in her abilities. She swerved to the side as the boy swung, skillfully dodging the weapon. Piper tried to aim for the boy’s shoulder again, but he dodged that blow as well, this time quicker and more agile. Piper decided that she had to disarm him to defeat him. Disarming with a dagger is different than disarming with a sword. Piper had to try something other than the disarming tactic Percy taught her with his weapon. That strategy wouldn't work with the boy’s strong lanky sword. Piper dodged another swing from the boy and picked the mature way of disarming him. Naturally, she kicked him in the balls. _That was definitely the best option,_ Piper thought. The boy didn't expect the hit and was pretty affected. As he recoiled from the contact, Piper knocked his sword out of his hands and kicked it across the deck before he could grab for it. The boy stood up, angry. He had settled for fighting without a weapon. Piper jabbed her dagger somewhere near his kneecap, but the boy quickly jumped to the side. Before Piper could regain balance, the pirate placed his hands on her chest and pushed her hard.

 

What happened next was sort of a blur. Piper realized that the fight between her and the boy happened right near the edge of the ship. She tried to lean forward but she could feel herself falling. There was no way Piper could get back up. She tried to concentrate on not stabbing herself and bracing for impact with the water as she fell. Time seemed to slow down as she fell. It wasn't that long of a fall, but it was unexpected. Then, Piper hit the water. She managed to get her dagger into the sheath without injuring herself and swam up. Thankfully, Piper knew how to swim. Piper swam as fast as she could, trying to get back to the boat. The boat wasn't being moved manually, but the large waves that had started that afternoon flung it around. Nevertheless, Piper tried with all her might to swim back to safety, but the current was strong and it pulled her further out to sea. With the huge crashing waves and fight going on, it was a terrible day to fall into the ocean. The other pirates wouldn't be able to save her. They were too distracted with the fight. Soon enough, Piper had to switch her focus from swimming to the ship to keeping her head above water and breathing. As Piper struggled to not drown, she drifted further away from the ship. She was starting to have a panic attack, which didn't help in the situation. It wasn't exactly easy to take deep breaths as waves tried to push you down and bring you away from your home. Piper wondered for a moment, even if she managed to survive, would the pirates come back for her? Would she ever be found? Would she ever get back to the ship? Piper was caught up on the thought for a little bit, until a wave that pushed her under shocked her back into reality. Piper swam up again, breathing heavy. She was getting extremely tired and couldn't keep it up for much longer. Piper struggled to survive for the most agonizing two minutes of her life before the largest wave yet came. The ginormous monster loomed over Piper and seemed to bound towards her. Piper knew that she wouldn't be able to swim up after that one. She was already out of breath and so tired she could barely swim. Piper took one last deep breath and closed her eyes as the wave pushed her under.

 

~

 

Annabeth floated outside the passageway, contemplating what she should do. She had made it through another agonizing day of school waiting to just escape it all. She had the whole day to think about it, but Annabeth was still hesitating to leave. _This is your dream Annabeth. You can leave and explore wherever you want. And you could always come back if you want to,_ Annabeth thought. Annabeth nodded her head and swam through the opening in the dark rock. Excited, she felt herself swimming faster and faster. The passageway was pretty long. Annabeth rolled her eyes. Even the only way out of the city had to be long just _incase_ a rebellious merperson decided to turn back because it wasn't an extremely short swim. Annabeth thought that was ridiculous and impractical. If someone wants to leave, they're still going to leave, no matter how long the passage.

 

Lost in her thoughts, Annabeth realized she had reached the end of the passage. She quickly stopped swimming and looked around her.

 

“It's so…free,” she whispered. The open ocean in front of her had no boundaries, no restrictions. More dangerous, yes, but that was a risk Annabeth was willing to take. Seaweed flew back and forth with the current and the occasional fish or two swam past, but the ocean Annabeth could see was mostly empty. She turned her head, wondering where she should go first. Nobody knew what wonders laid in front of her. Annabeth hoped to see some architectural advancements on her journey. She didn't know how long she'd be out that time, but she’d really love to see some beautiful buildings.

 

CRASH! A wave from above slammed into the ocean. The waves must have been intense. Annabeth looked up and gasped. She swam backwards and slammed into the rock of the passageway. Above her, a body sunk through the ocean. But not just any body, a _human body._ Annabeth couldn't see any details but she could see the outline of the human’s body. Definitely a human. Annabeth couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. She knew humans needed air to breathe, unlike mermaids, who had gills and lungs, so they could breathe under and above water. Maybe the human could still be saved. But there was one problem. If anybody caught Annabeth interacting with a human, she’d be killed. Annabeth could feel her heart pulsing rapidly. She had always wanted to meet a human and this one didn't do anything wrong. Annabeth had to save them. She took a deep breath and swam. Up and up she moved through the water, getting closer to the human. Once Annabeth got to them, she felt their heart. It was still beating. Annabeth still had a chance to save them. With her top priority being saving the human, Annabeth didn't really look at their appearance, but she could tell they were female. Annabeth wrapped her arms around the girl and looked around for a place to bring her. The problem with being in the open ocean was that there was nowhere Annabeth could go for help. The waves were too intense to bring the human up above water, and even if they died down it would be hard for the human to survive. Annabeth frantically looked for something, anything that could help her. A dark blue rock, just like the passageway, caught Annabeth’s eye. It looked like a cove, and there was an opening Annabeth could swim through.

 

She tightened her grip on the girl and swam to the rock. As fast as she could, Annabeth glided through the hole in the middle of the dark rock. Once her and the human were in the middle, Annabeth popped her head out of the water. The rock was a cove. The walls of sparkling dark blue rock curled up into a dome. At the edge, the pool of water stretched straight out into an opening leading to the free ocean. Most importantly, the cove was big and there was plenty of room for the human to lie down and walk on the ledges of rock that stretched into the water.

 

Annabeth lifted the human, which was surprisingly difficult. Underwater, it was so much easier to lift someone or something. Above water however, there seemed to be something that restrained you from picking something up. Not being used to that force, Annabeth put her strength into lifting the girl and managed to lay her down on the rock.

 

Annabeth quickly placed her hand on the girl’s heart. It was beating, but slowly. Annabeth didn't know what to do. She'd given the human air, what else could she do. She wracked through her brain for the little knowledge she had about humans. Humans can't breathe water, so when they're submerged in it, they must consume it. That couldn't be good. Annabeth had to remove the water. She placed her hands on the human’s chest and stomach and took a deep breath. “I hope this works,” she muttered. Annabeth then started pushing down. She repeatedly pushed on the human, hoping the it would help. Struggling, she'd yell things like “Come on!” and “Please! You're alive!” After a minute, water started to fall out of the human’s mouth. It was working! Annabeth continued pushing the girl’s stomach as the water continued to spurt out of her mouth. At the start, there was a small amount, but more and more started to leave the girl’s body and drip onto the rock. After a solid three minutes of helping the girl, she suddenly opened her eyes and started to breathe, heavily and fast. Annabeth jumped a bit and looked at the girl. She gasped as the air started to fill her lungs and her face turned from pale white to a brown color. The girl had a look of panic on her face and Annabeth couldn't help feeling bad for her. If she was a human who woke up in a cove with a strange mermaid and her last memory was drowning, Annabeth would panic too.

 

“It's ok,” Annabeth said in a calming tone. “You're alright. Everything is fine.”

 

The girl looked up at Annabeth with wide eyes. “Who are you? What happened?” She asked. Annabeth backed up to let the girl sit up if she wanted. The girl slowly lifted herself into a sitting position and placed her hand on her head, looking as if she was trying to remember details. Annabeth took it upon herself to explain what she knew.

 

“I don't know what happened, but I saw you drowning. I brought you here, to this cove. I don't know much about humans, but I tried to eject the water from your body and it worked.” After talking, Annabeth realized what a terrible explanation that was and mentally slapped herself for probably confusing the poor girl even more. The human leaned forward to get a better look at Annabeth, who was in the water, and gasped.

 

“You-you're a…,” she sputtered.

 

“Mermaid? Yeah,” Annabeth finished. The fact that the human would be surprised that Annabeth was a mermaid had slipped her mind.  For a moment, she'd forgotten about awkward interactions and just focused on saving the girl. “I'm Annabeth.”

 

“Uh, Piper,” the girl said, still confused about the whole situation. Annabeth finally got a good look at the girl, Piper. Piper’s hair was choppy, messy, and chocolate brown. She had beautiful brown skin and probably the most gorgeous eyes Annabeth ever saw. Annabeth couldn't exactly tell what color Piper’s eyes were. They looked as if they changed from brown, to green, to blue, to some colors that weren't even normal for eyes. Despite not being able to tell what color her eyes were, Annabeth thought Piper’s eyes were absolutely stunning. Piper wore a red bandana tied to her head, a white blouse, (which was ripped, dirty, and sopping wet) black pants, and she was barefoot. She had a sheath around her waist, which no doubt contained a dagger.

 

“I-I think I remember what happened,” Piper said, looking Annabeth in the eyes. Annabeth tried not to focus on the changing eye color and payed attention to Piper’s words. “There was a fight on the ship. Um, I'm part of a pirate gang.”

 

_Well that explains the clothing,_ Annabeth thought.

 

“I was fighting someone and I lost my guard for a moment. I was pushed off the ship. I tried to swim back, but the waves were too intense, I was washed away and couldn't keep afloat. I sunk. And...and now I'm here,” Piper finished explaining. She turned so Annabeth could see her profile, brought her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. It was strange for Annabeth to see legs. She knew a lot more about humans than most mermaids. She loved learning about the species and knew their basic anatomy, but seeing it in person was different than seeing a poorly drawn picture in a book. Annabeth found it kind of fascinating. She hadn't expected her first encounter with a human (if she ever encountered a human that is) to go how it did. But, Annabeth was intrigued.

 

Piper turned her head. “Like what you see?” She said half jokingly and half bitterly and sarcastic. Annabeth caught herself staring at Piper’s legs and blushed, just the slightest. She'd forgotten about how weird that must’ve seemed to Piper.

 

“Sorry,” Annabeth apologized. “I've just never met a human before.”

 

“I've never met a mermaid,” Piper shrugged. “By the way, thank you. For saving me, I mean. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there. I'd probably be dead.”

 

“I'm just glad what I did worked,” Annabeth admitted. “I do know more about humans than most mermaids, but it's really not a lot. I want to know so much more.”

Piper laughed. “You'd probably like it better down here. My kind can be...vicious.” Annabeth could tell Piper was thinking about something. Maybe the war between humans and merpeople long ago. Or...maybe something more specific. Annabeth knew what she thought of. The harsh rules of merpeople. The consequences of what Annabeth did began to set in just then. Not only did she leave the city, but she was interacting with a human. She saved a human, and was now talking to her. Annabeth could be _executed_ for that. Annabeth didn't plan to stay out of the city forever. She wanted to go back. She just wanted to start with a small adventure and gradually have bigger ones. But now, she was unsure. She had to be stealthy about everything. After all, Annabeth still felt obliged to help the human. She was now stranded on a cove, with nowhere to go. Annabeth had to figure out a way to get Piper back to her ship, or her trip would be worth nothing. If she didn't, Annabeth would eventually be caught and killed, and Piper would be stranded with nobody.

 

“Well humans aren't the only species with medieval techniques,” Annabeth added.

 

“I'm just worried. What if I never find my ship again? What if I'm stranded here forever?” Piper contemplated.

 

“I was thinking the same thing,” Annabeth said.

 

“I mean, I'm an important member to the crew. And if someone is lost and there's even the slightest chance that they're alive, we go back for them. And my friend, he's the assistant captain on the ship. He’ll want to come back for me. Maybe there's a chance that they'll search for me. But then what? How would they know that I'm here?”

 

“Hold on,” Annabeth said. She began to swim out of the pool of water and through the passageway that led to the opening of the cove. Annabeth swam out of the cove and scanned the area. At first, Annabeth was surprised by vast area of water around her. The ocean seemed to go on forever. Land wasn't in sight. Annabeth had never felt that free. There were some rocks in the water, but the big blue cove was the biggest of all. If she was searching for someone, Annabeth would definitely look there. Annabeth swam back into the cove and to Piper.

 

“This cove is easily the biggest rock in the area. It’s a great place for someone who's stranded to stay. If I was on a ship searching for someone, I would check this cove.”

 

Piper looked relieved. Like she had some hope that her crew members would come back for her. “Well, I'm not as worried now. Hopefully, they will come back soon. But, from where I guess they were when the fight ended and they realized I was gone, it'll most likely take a few days for them to get here. They might not even know I'm gone yet, and the waves transported me a long way.”

 

“You could stay here in the meantime,” Annabeth offered. She looked up to Piper, who was now sitting forward with her legs in the water. “This is a good place to rest while you wait. I could give you some food and...keep you company until your crewmates come.”

 

Piper looked surprised. “You would? I didn't think you'd want to help me, after I caused you all this...trouble. I don't know, I'm stupid.”

“You're not stupid. I’d be happy to help you and keep you company. I left my city for adventure, and I've always wished to meet a human. And now I finally did,” Annabeth said.

 

Piper smiled. Her smile was warm and her teeth were white. Annabeth’s stomach felt like a million butterflies were zipping about. Maybe it was because she'd never met a human before. Or maybe it was because of something else. Either way, Annabeth swam toward the edge of the rock wall, where Piper was sitting, turned around, placed her hands on the surface, and pushed herself up to sit on the rock next to Piper. Her tail sat in the water, just like Piper’s legs.

 

“I know you just survived falling off your ship and this is a lot to take in and all, but could you tell me about humans?,” Annabeth asked. “I’m curious and I'd really love to learn more.” Annabeth felt awkward asking. What if Piper refused?

 

“Alright, sure.” Piper replied. Annabeth let out a sigh of relief. She always wanted to know more and now she was finally going to hear it and from a _human._ Piper moved her hands from behind her to her sides. Annabeth’s hands were on her sides as well, and when Piper moved hers, Annabeth and Piper’s hands brushed for a moment. They both quickly moved their fingers so they weren't touching afterwards. Annabeth felt her cheeks turn red and noticed that Piper was looking down at her hand, thinking. Annabeth coughed and Piper looked back up at her. There was an awkward silence before Piper spoke up.

 

“So, what do you want to know,” Piper asked.

 

“Anything, really,” Annabeth responded. “I just really want to know more.”

 

“Well, we breathe air and not water. We have legs. Our society is shit. We all hate cute mermaids like you.”

 

For a moment, Annabeth was surprised. Humans hated mermaids? Were they really that bad? And did Piper just call her cute?

 

“Kidding,” Piper said smirking. She had obviously noticed Annabeth’s look of dismay. “We don't hate mermaids. But I was also kidding about the cute part.”

 

Annabeth lightly punched the other girl. “Shut up.” Piper smiled. Annabeth knew she could get along with this girl. Maybe the risks would be worth it.

 

~

 

Piper had one hell of a day, and that was an understatement. She was still processing it all, and didn't know what to think. The mermaid, Annabeth, was gone for now. She had to go back to her city for the night, but she promised she’d be back the next morning. So, Piper was alone for a night. A whole night to think about what had happened. She hadn't cried, not yet. Talking with Annabeth had helped distract Piper from everything. It was as if everything to say came easily to her, but at the same time she was nervous. Why, Piper had no idea, but she knew when she saw Annabeth she’d felt a tingly rush throughout her body.

 

Piper was still getting over the shock of meeting Annabeth. A mermaid. She had met a mermaid. Piper knew mermaids existed, obviously, but she never thought she'd actually meet one. Suddenly, a thought came to her that she hadn't considered until then. Annabeth was a mermaid. And Piper was apart of the pirate gang that wanted to capture any mermaid they could find and interrogate them so they could raid their city. Piper was wracked with more emotion at that moment than she had been before. Piper couldn't let her crew capture Annabeth. Annabeth had _saved Piper’s life._ Piper could never do that to her. She had make sure the gang didn't see Annabeth when they came back. Well, if they came back.

 

Piper had faith in her crewmates. She really did. But it was hard to be positive that they were coming for her when she really had no idea. They must have noticed that she was gone by now. It had been hours since she fell. The battle with the Titans must be over. Piper just hoped her crewmates were successful, because if not, she may not ever be found. Piper put her head in her hands and finally allowed herself to cry. Sitting in a dark cove with nothing but the sounds of the ocean was awfully lonely and Piper was bound to cry soon enough.  She was just glad Annabeth wasn't there to see her when she was a mess.

 

Piper sat and let it out for about five minutes. She started to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Crying made Piper feel good. She felt cleansed and not stressed anymore. Piper took another deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Crying had also made Piper tired. It always did. Annabeth had offered Piper food before she left and Piper refused. But now, Piper felt hungry. She had to wait until Annabeth came back the next day. Regretting the decision to refuse food, Piper laid down on the hard rock. It wasn't comfortable, but Piper had slept on worse things before. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about anything. She let the calming noise of the sea fill her mind and soon drifted off to sleep.

 

Piper awoke with a start. She frantically sat up and looked back and forth at her location. “Where am I?!” She yelled. Piper suddenly remembered. She wasn't on the ship, she was in the cove. She took a deep breath and calmed down. That night, she’d had a vivid nightmare of drowning, but not being saved. Piper crossed her arms tightly over her chest. It seemed like a new fear had arisen from the drowning incident. Being restrained. Piper suddenly wanted to rip apart the shelter she was in. She couldn't stand the thought of being trapped in a small ass cove for days. Just like the violent waves had trapped her, the cove felt like a trap as well. Like a cage.

 

Piper took deep breaths, something she'd been doing a lot lately, and reminded herself that staying in the cove was her only chance of survival. Land wasn't in sight. Piper couldn't swim anywhere. She laid on the rock once again and placed her hand on her head.

 

Suddenly, the water of the small cove in the pool started to move, as if something or someone was swimming up to the surface. _Annabeth,_ Piper thought. She was suddenly happier. Piper sat up and attempted to fix her messy hair. It hadn’t dried very well since Piper didn't try to tame it the other day, but she didn't want to look like she didn't care, especially when Annabeth was with her. Piper didn't exactly know why though.

 

Annabeth popped out of the water and a smile immediately appeared on her face when she saw Piper’s hands fumbling with her hair. Piper quickly dropped her hands as a blush spread across her face. She took a good look at Annabeth. Her curly blonde princess hair was down and flowing. It seemed as if when Annabeth emerged from the water her hair was perfectly dry. Piper wished she had that. Annabeth’s eyes were a fierce, stormy gray, that looked so intimidating they would scare away the Titan gang. Annabeth wore the same thing as the other day, a thin silver top. Piper couldn't see it, but she knew Annabeth’s shimmering silver-ish blue tail was under the water. It was sort of mesmerizing. The other day, Piper was staring at the tail too often. It was just so surreal.

 

“Hey Piper, how are you?” Annabeth asked.

 

“Alright I guess. I'm starving though,” Piper replied.

 

“Well it's your lucky day because I brought food,” Annabeth said as she placed something that looked like a bunch of fruit on the rock; almost like grapes. “It's from one of the plants in the city. It's edible, I just don't know how it will taste to you, a human.”

 

“I don't really have a choice do I?” Piper smirked and picked up the bunch of fruit. She took one of the grape-like spheres off the bundle and placed it in her mouth. “This is amazing,” Piper said, still chewing. “It's so good!” It really was. Piper didn't know what those berries were, but what she did know was that it felt like heaven was in her mouth. She took a couple more and popped them into her mouth.

 

“Glad you like them. They're pretty common in my city so it's easy to grab a bunch. I usually grab a couple on my way to college.”

 

“You go to school?” Piper asked in between mouthfuls of berries.

 

“Yeah, I'm in my second year of college. I want to be an architect someday. School is ok, it's just that my city has so many strict rules that it's hard to miss. I had to make a very convincing call saying I was sick to come out here to you.”

 

Piper was caught off guard by Annabeth's last sentence. Annabeth had made an effort to care for Piper. And she was skipping college when it's hard for her to do that.

 

“You skipped school for me? When it's hard for you to even skip it?”

 

“Well, yeah. I figured you were worth missing a day of school. And I couldn't let you starve, could I?”

 

A warm feeling filled Piper. The kind of feeling you get when someone tells you that they care about you. Piper felt like she didn't deserve what Annabeth was doing for her. If it weren't for Annabeth, Piper would be dead, and Annabeth continued to do good things for her. How could Piper ever make up for that? She couldn't even do anything stranded at the cove.

 

“You said something about your city having strict rules? Was it hard for you to come see me?” Piper wanted to know everything Annabeth was doing for her, and Piper had a feeling that saving her and skipping school wasn't just it.

 

“Umm...well…yeah there's uh, some rules in my city,” Annabeth stuttered, obviously avoiding the question.

 

“You're a terrible liar Annabeth. Please, tell me what your city is like.”

 

Annabeth swam up to Piper and sat on the rock next to her like she did the other day. She folded her hands in her lap, well where her lap would be if she was human. She stared at them, avoiding eye contact with Piper. Piper knew it. Annabeth was risking something for her. Something big.

 

“You probably don't remember, but yesterday I said humans weren't the only ones with medieval techniques,” Annabeth began. “Humans and merpeople, they had a long and horrible war years and years ago. My city has extremely strict rules that are meant to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. My city was the heart of the war, so it's understandable, but these rules...they seem so old and I don't understand why they're still being practiced. But, I'll have to tell you soon so I guess I'll tell you now. In my city, we’re not allowed to interact with anybody outside the barrier. Nobody is allowed to go in without permission, and nobody is allowed to leave without permission. I found this secret passageway, which is how I sneak in and out. And...um...if any merperson is caught interacting with a human...they will be...killed.” Annabeth avoided Piper’s gaze even more. The realization hit Piper at that moment. Annabeth had risked her life to save Piper. She was still risking her life by coming out to take care of Piper. Piper wasn't worth that. Why was Annabeth doing this for Piper.

 

“Annabeth…” Piper tried to speak but she didn't know what to say.

 

“Listen Piper, before you say what I _know_ you're going to say, I want to do this. I want to help you. I was going to leave my city for adventures before I even knew you existed. And I've _always_ wanted to meet a human. So, I want to stick with you as long as I can, no matter the risk.”

 

If it was any possible for Piper to be more surprised than she already was, she was surprised again. “Is it at least a little scary?” She inquired.

 

“Yes, it's kind of terrifying actually. But, I'm willing to do it.” Piper put her arm around Annabeth, who finally met her gaze. They stared at each other for a little longer than a moment, and before it got awkward, Piper said one thing.

 

“Thank you.”

 

~

 

Annabeth laughed at Piper’s stupid pun. She got annoyed at terrible jokes, but Piper’s was one of those good-bad puns. She lightly shoved the girl. A smile formed on Piper’s face.

 

“Ow,” she said, pouting her lip.

 

“I know for a fact that did _not_ hurt you, so I'm not coming to your pity party,” Annabeth taunted.

 

“Pleeeaaaase,” Piper jokingly begged. “Say sorry.”

 

Annabeth groaned, “I'm soo sorry Piper. Do you forgive me?”

 

Piper’s face lit up, “Yes! Although I did detect a bit of sarcasm in that.”

 

“Maybe just a bit,” Annabeth shrugged while smiling like an idiot. She adjusted herself while sitting on the cove, her tail in the water. Joking around with Piper made her happy. An overwhelming joyous feeling took her over and left her smiling all the time. Even when Piper didn't say anything, Annabeth just couldn't help smiling around Piper. Piper made Annabeth feel giddy, like hundreds of butterflies were flying around in her stomach. And Annabeth didn't get giddy. Until Piper, that is.

 

Piper put her hand on Annabeth’s shoulder, which jolted her out of her mind and into reality. “Whatcha thinking about sweetheart?” She asked with a smirk.

 

“You are in for it,” Annabeth laughed as she punched Piper’s shoulder and repeatedly hit her. The kind of hitting you'd do to a friend who was annoying the shit out of you. “Don't call me sweetheart,” Annabeth said.

 

“Ok, ok, your highness,” Piper managed to escape Annabeth’s clutches and faked bowing.

“That's more like it.” Annabeth corrected her bent posture to look more queen-like and faked a look of pride.

 

“You little shit,” Piper laughed as she pushed Annabeth and make her posture sink. Annabeth smirked as she sat up. She was about to say something back when movement in the water caught her eye. Annabeth stared into the pool of water in the middle of the cove. It looked like something...or someone was there.

 

“Piper?” Annabeth asked. “Did you see that?”

“See what?” Piper replied in confusion. “Annabeth what's wrong?”

 

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows, trying to focus on the water. “I thought I saw something in the water. Moving.”

 

“That can't be good,” Piper whispered.

 

Annabeth's heart skipped a beat in fear. What if someone had caught her. What if she was caught sneaking out of the city and interacting with a human. What if Annabeth would be killed? Annabeth took a deep breath as the logical side of her began to take over the fearful side. “It's gone now. It was probably a fish or something,” Annabeth said, wishing she was sure of herself. She turned to Piper, who looked tense.

 

“Hey, don't worry. I'll be fine. And I'll still be able to bring you food because’ that's the best part of having me here right?”

 

Piper laughed. “Yeah, totally. I enjoy your food too much to lose you.”

  


Another day with Piper had passed. Annabeth had followed the same routine. She went home, a little bit later that time, (she had to say she went out to dinner with some friends) went to bed, and skipped school the next day to see Piper. Annabeth once again, brought Piper some food to last the whole day, and spent the day with her. About halfway through the day, it dawned on Annabeth that if Piper’s ship was coming back for her, it could arrive at any second. The thought of having to say goodbye to Piper and not knowing when put Annabeth in a terrible mood, so she decided to enjoy her time with Piper as much as possible. Spending time with Piper made Annabeth happier than she’d ever been. She was doing what she’d always wanted to do. Going out of her city, not quite exploring yet, but she'd met a _human._ Annabeth was happy. She didn't want to lose that.

 

Throughout the day, there was plenty of awkward hand brushing, stares, and red faces. The giddy butterfly feeling never really did go away. But, Annabeth started to think that she wasn't the only one. Annabeth had caught Piper trying to touch Annabeth as often as she could, staring for long moments, and blushing when she noticed that Annabeth noticed.

 

Annabeth thought Piper was an amazing person. And it wasn't just looks, although those were beautiful. Piper was kind and sweet, but sarcastic, tough, and always knew how to make Annabeth laugh. Annabeth felt like she was most compatible with Piper. She never really had any friends like that at home. She had friends of course, but she never felt like she did with Piper.  Annabeth wasn’t sure why, but she felt like she wanted to spend all of her time with Piper. As Annabeth thought, she started to put the details together. The awkward hand touching. The blushing. The stares. The longing to just be with Piper all the time. The giddy butterfly feeling. At that moment, when Annabeth was swimming home after her third day with Piper, she realized she was in love. Maybe not in love just yet. But there was something. Annabeth knew she liked Piper. And it felt like love, it really did. It was too early. It might not have been, but Annabeth certainly felt as if she was in love with Piper. She didn’t exactly know how to take the information. She’d felt attraction before, but she’d never had a crush of her own. Maybe because she’d never allowed herself to get close to anybody. Annabeth was more of a loner, and rarely did things with her friends. But in those three days, Annabeth had gotten closer to Piper than she ever had with anyone outside of her family. She wanted to be in a relationship with Piper. That saddened Annabeth. She knew Piper would have to leave soon. Her ship would come for her, and then she’d be gone. Annabeth would never see her again. It had been three days. If the ship was coming, it had to be soon.

 

Annabeth decided to push the thought to the back of her head, not letting it leave, but pushing it aside. She had already snuck through the secret passageway with great care. She was still suspicious after the incident with the moving water. Annabeth had even thought she’d seen something else more recently. She couldn’t be caught. She wanted to be with Piper, but the consequences for it were still very real. She was in the city, and soon made it to her home.

 

Annabeth opened the door. Dinner had finished, so her stepmom was washing the dishes.

 

“You went out to dinner again, I presume?” she asked.

 

“Yes, I did,” Annabeth answered.

 

“Alright, well get your schoolwork done now,” she ordered. “You also have chores around the house to do, so get to it.”

 

Annabeth exited the room and went to do the chores, since she didn’t have schoolwork due to skipping school that day. As she worked, Annabeth imagined the next day, which might be her final day with Piper.

 

Around 9pm, there was a knock on the door. Annabeth was sitting on the couch, reading a book. Her dad was closer to the door, so he swam over and pulled it open. Outside the door, was a stern looking merman with a large book and a wallet in his hands. He had brown hair that flipped upwards in a quiff, brown eyes, and a neutral look on his face. Something about him gave Annabeth an unsettling feeling. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. Why would a strange merman be at their door, unless he knew something.

“Hello,” he spoke in a deep, sophisticated voice. “Is this the home of Annabeth Chase?” Annabeth’s heart started to beat even faster. She felt her hands start to shake. She tried to keep a neutral expression, despite the panic going on in her head. Did he know what Annabeth had done? Did he know she’d been sneaking out of the city the past three days and caring for a human? What if he was here to take Annabeth and...and...Annabeth couldn't even think about it. She put a look of confusion onto her face and hoped her acting was convincing.

 

“Um, yes,” said her father, stumped. “I'm her father, Frederick Chase.”

 

“Perfect. I'm a member of the COFPD and I'm here to talk about some serious issues involving your daughter.” The merman took out his ID from his wallet for Annabeth’s father to read. “May I come in?”

 

“Sure,” Annabeth’s father said. He shot a look at Annabeth and Annabeth tried to keep a perplexed look on her face too. The merman swam through the house and into the living room. Annabeth’s father and the merman took a seat on the side of the large couch that was facing Annabeth.

 

“You're Annabeth Chase, I presume?” asked the merman.

 

“Yes, I am,” Annabeth replied nervously.

 

“My name is William Peterson and I'm a member of the City of Nera Police Department. I'm here to discuss some things that are extremely important with you and your family. Is your mother here?”

 

“My stepmother is.”

 

“Good. Please, call her in.” Annabeth’s dad called for Annabeth's stepmother who walked into the room, puzzled as to why.  

 

“Hello, I'm a member of the COFPD and I'd like to discuss something with your daughter and her family. Please sit down.”

 

“Um, ok?” said Annabeth’s stepmother. Annabeth swore she saw her stepmom mouth something like “What did she do now?” Once everyone was sat down, the merman William began to talk.

 

“So, as I said, I'm here to talk to you all about something very serious. You all know about the rules of this city and their significance. We take these rules very seriously and don't appreciate it when they're taken lightly or broken. There's really no easy way to say this. I'm sorry to tell you, but Annabeth Chase has broken two of the city’s major rules.” At that moment, Annabeth felt as if she'd been stabbed in the chest. She felt like the knife was digging deeper and deeper into her. She felt helpless. She could feel her whole body shaking and tears welling up in her eyes. Annabeth didn’t cry very often, but knowing you could very well be killed in the next 24 hours is definitely something to cry about. Annabeth had failed. Annabeth didn't make eye contact with her family. She couldn't face them. “Annabeth has been sneaking out of the city through a passageway that had been used in the war. She's been leaving the city and coming back without permission. What makes matters worse, is that she found and was caught interacting with a human, which is punishable by death.”

 

“No,” Annabeth’s dad whispered. “Annabeth...she'd never do that. She’s always followed the rules. She’s a good, obedient daughter. I don't believe it.”

“I'm sorry Mr. Chase, but it's true. If you don't believe me, look at this.” William handed Annabeth’s dad an underwater photograph. It suddenly hit Annabeth. The thing she had seen moving in the water was someone taking a picture of her and Piper.

 

Frederick's hands shook as he dropped the photograph. Annabeth's step-mother put her arm around her father, trying to be comforting. “Annabeth,” he asked. “Is this true?”

 

Annabeth was crying by then. “Yes, it's true. I wanted to explore. I was sick of this fucking city! I wanted to get out! And now look what I've done! It's all my fucking fault!” Annabeth's sadness turned to anger as she yelled.

 

“Annabeth, you know what the punishment is for the crime that you committed,” William began. “I and more members of the COFPD will be here for you tomorrow. We’ll allow you one last night with your family.” And with that last sentence, William got up, and left the house.

 

“Annabeth, I can't believe you. I thought you were better than this,” her dad said, his hands shaking.

 

“Dear, it'd be best if you went to bed. We can...say goodbye...in the morning,” Annabeth’s stepmother said. Annabeth wanted to slap her. Her stepmother never cared about her. For all Annabeth knew, her stepmother was glad she was being killed. Her stepmother led Annabeth’s father to their bedroom, while Annabeth sat on the couch. Not saying the word. Annabeth could even think. She was in a spiral of panic, terror, and dread. Before she knew it, her stepmother was back.

 

“How dare you,” she spat. “Look what you've done. To yourself. To your father. This is all your fault. You deserve what you're getting. I knew it was a smart decision to never like you, you bitch. This family will be better off without your delinquent ass.”

 

“Then get the fuck away from me! What do you think I'm going through right now after hearing I'm going to be killed tomorrow?! If you don't want me here, you just have to wait until tomorrow morning. You got what you've always wanted. Have fun without me. I'm sure glad I won't have to deal with you anymore,” Annabeth yelled. Her stepmother swam off, fuming. Annabeth was glad she had finally yelled at her after all those years. Annabeth swam to her room and shut the door. She had to leave that night. She could never come back to the city. Annabeth didn't want to leave her father behind, but it was either that, or be killed. Annabeth looked around her room to see if there was anything there that she could take with her, but she didn't need anything. Annabeth sat on her bed and thought. She didn't regret her decision to save Piper. She wouldn't ever regret it. She'd wanted to leave anyways, and by saving Piper, her life instantly became better. Annabeth just hated how much it cost her.

Annabeth had a few hours before she could leave. She had to wait for her family to fall asleep and for barely any people to be walking around the city. She figured she'd leave around 3am. She set her alarm clock to 2:50am, incase she fell asleep, although she doubted that would happen. She tried to think, but she just felt empty. Annabeth felt like she couldn't process any of what happened. She expected to feel scared, sad, and regretful. She was scared, of course, but not as much as she thought she would. Maybe reality hadn't set in yet, but Annabeth wasn't that terrified. All she could do was wait.

 

Beeep beep beeep, Annabeth's alarm rang. She rose from the bed, where she was half awake, half asleep. She wasn't sure if she had fallen completely asleep. She just knew it was time to go. Annabeth sat off and left her room. As she swam through her house, she passed Matthew and Bobby’s room.

 

“Bye kids,” she whispered. Annabeth swam on to her father and stepmother’s room. She slowly and quietly opened the door and swam in. She grabbed a marker off the desk and a piece of underwater paper. She scribbled the words “I'm sorry” onto the paper and placed it on her father’s nightstand. She took one last look at her father and stepmother and whispered, “Goodbye.” She hated to leave her father. She didn't want to. But it was the only way. Annabeth didn't let herself cry, and swam away before she could.

 

Annabeth opened the door and peeked outside. Nobody. Perfect. She swam outside her house and took her last look at it.

 

“Goodbye City of Nera. I'm sorry dad.”

 

~

 

Piper and Annabeth held hands as Annabeth took her on a magical tour of the sea. Piper squeezed Annabeth's hand and the two girls stared at each other. Piper looked at Annabeth’s beautiful stormy grey eyes. She placed her hand on Annabeth’s shoulder as they moved closer towards each other. Just as they were inches away from each other, Annabeth spoke. “PIPER! PIPER! PIPER WAKE UP!”

 

Piper sat up, startled. Her dream faded as the real world started to set in. Piper didn't have time to think about her dream, because Annabeth was in the water, right in front of her. It was dark outside, late at night. Annabeth never came at night. Something had to be wrong.

 

“Annabeth?” Piper asked, groggy from just waking up. “Why are you here? It's the middle of the night.”

 

“Piper, they caught me. I had to leave, I had to. They'd kill me if I didn't. I can't go back,” Annabeth talked faster than Piper could process what she was saying. But Piper knew something was terribly wrong.

 

“Annabeth, Annabeth, calm down, shhh.” Annabeth stopped talking for a moment. “Come up here, don't leave your tail in the water, and tell me everything.” Piper didn't want to risk Annabeth being seen by anyone. Annabeth hoisted herself up onto the rock, this time with her tail on the rock as well.

 

Annabeth took and deep breath and started to explain, “Last night, a member of the police department came to my house. Remember when we thought we saw something in the water. Someone from the Police Department took a picture of us while they were working and I was caught leaving the city and interacting with a human. I was left one night with my family and then they'd come to take me in the morning. I couldn't have stayed. I left in the middle of the night, I'm just glad the passageway wasn't closed off. I can't go back. Ever.” Piper took a moment to take everything in.

 

“Don't say anything,” Annabeth spoke again. “You'll say that I should have never saved you. I don't regret a single thing Piper. I'm just a little scared. Piper moved towards the mermaid sitting on the rock and wrapped her arms around Annabeth’s shaking body. Annabeth buried her face in Piper’s shoulder. “It's okay,” Piper whispered. “Everything will be okay”

 

Piper awoke in the morning to the sound of the sea. She kept her eyes closed for awhile, and listened to the sounds around her. The two girls had fallen asleep in a spooning position with Piper’s arms around Annabeth. Piper worried that Annabeth wouldn't be ok being out of water for so long, but Annabeth had told Piper that merpeople could go at least a couple days being out of water. They had lungs too, because of their human bodies. Piper wished she could stay with Annabeth like that forever. She didn't want them to get up. It felt so calm to lie down and forget the world.

 

Piper took the time she had to think about the dream she had before Annabeth had come. She and Annabeth almost kissed. When Piper had dreams like that, they always meant something. Piper enjoyed her time with Annabeth. Annabeth made her happy. Annabeth made her forget what had happened. She made her forget about the fact that her ship might never come for her. Annabeth made Piper happy. At that moment, Piper realized that she wanted to be with Annabeth. She wanted to kiss Annabeth. Piper might as well have been in love. She knew love took time and work, but she felt something for Annabeth that she'd rarely felt before.

 

Piper sat up and yawned. She stretched her arms out and looked at the sleeping mermaid beside her. Annabeth looked adorable in her sleep. Piper kept her eyes on Annabeth as she stirred. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

 

“Good morning,” Piper spoke.

 

“Where-oh,” Annabeth mumbled. “Morning Piper.” She yawned and sat up. Piper saw her struggling, she didn't have legs after all, so she helped her up. “Uh, thank you Piper,” she said.

 

“For what?” Piper asked. “I should be the one thanking you.”

 

“For everything you idiot. You made me so happy. You supported me last night, when I was at my weakest. Thank you.”

 

“Well, um, you're welcome,” Piper stuttered, an obvious blush on her face. Annabeth smiled at Piper’s flustered face. Annabeth placed her hand on Piper’s shoulder and moved closer towards her. Piper could feel her heart leaping out of her chest. Their faces moved closer together when suddenly, loud noises that weren't the noises of nature could be heard in the distance. Piper and Annabeth quickly separated. Piper didn't have time to be sad about what almost happened. She was too caught up by the familiar noises.

 

“What's making that noise,” Annabeth asked, with a slightly panicked look on her face. Of course. She was worried that people from her city would search for her after they found out she had left her home. It couldn't be that though. The noise was coming from above the water.

 

“It's so familiar,” Piper muttered. “Is it what I think it is?” Piper stood up and ran to the end of the cove that led out to the ocean. Piper was right. Her ship, the Wolf of Jupiter, was sailing towards the cove. They were looking for her. They had come back for her. Piper was filled with different emotions all at once. She was happy that her ship came back for her. She was relieved that she wouldn't have to live in the cove anymore. She was sad that she'd have to leave Annabeth. But mostly, she was worried about Annabeth. Piper had never told her about the ship’s new rule about capturing mermaids. Piper was filled with panic. The ship was coming. She didn't have much time.

 

“Piper?! What is it?!” Annabeth swam through the water in front of where Piper was standing. She stared out at the ocean and noticed the ship coming towards the cove. “Oh,” Annabeth said. Piper could hear how her voice suddenly got lower and sadder with that one word, and it broke her heart.

 

“Annabeth, listen,” Piper began, in a panic. “The pirates on my ship can and will capture any mermaid that they see. They can't see you. I wish I could stay with you but they won't allow. I can't let you be captured. I won't let you be captured. You need to swim away. I'll find you again one day, I promise.” Tears filled Piper’s eyes.

 

Annabeth stared at Piper with a sympathetic and sad look. She nodded slowly. “Ok,” she whispered. Piper bent over to be closer to Annabeth in the water. Annabeth rose slightly and their lips connected. Piper placed a hand on Annabeth’s cheek, and pulled her a little closer. Piper felt the butterflies in her stomach fly around rapidly. Her heart pounded and she felt sparks. When the two girls disconnected, Piper lingered a bit, wanting more. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

 

Piper looked to the sea and the ship was closer. “Piper!!” She could hear someone yelling. It sounded like Leo. They had definitely seen Piper and they were approaching.

 

Piper could hear another voice in the distance. It was none other than the biggest jerk on the ship, Octavian. “She's with a mermaid! Get the mermaid!” He yelled. They saw Annabeth. Annabeth had to leave.

 

“You need to go!” Piper yelled over the loud noises of the ship. “Swim!”

 

Annabeth nodded and dived into the water. Piper ran to the edge of the cove as the ship approached. Soon enough, it was next to the cove and a ladder was thrown down the side. Piper jumped onto the ladder and climbed up, onto the ship that she hadn't been on for days. She ran across the ship, ignoring the people greeting her and questioning what happened to her. Piper leaned over the edge and looked at the ocean. She saw the flip of Annabeth’s silver tail and saw it disappear under the water. She looked to the side and saw Octavian and his gang of pricks lowering a giant net. Piper looked over the side, filled with worry. She could only hope that Annabeth wouldn't get caught. To her horror, Piper heard Octavian yell, “We’ve got her!” He started to pull the net up and before Piper could even see if Annabeth was actually in the net, she sprinted towards where Octavian was pulling up the net. She could tell some pirates, mainly her friends, were following her, confused as to why Piper was in such a panic. Piper made it to Octavian as the net reached the top of the ship. In the net was Annabeth struggling. Annabeth squirmed around, trying to escape but there was no hope.

 

“ANNABETH!” Piper screamed, running towards the net.

 

Annabeth saw Piper and they made eye contact. Piper could see the fear in Annabeth’s eyes and desperately longed to free her.

 

Octavian turned towards Piper, disgusted. “McLean, there's nothing you can do. At first, I thought you'd befriended this mermaid to lead her to us, but seeing that you really care for her? Pathetic. I've told you what we were going to do with mermaids. I am not letting this ‘Annabeth’ go.” Piper was fuming. She wanted to punch Octavian in his stupid fucking face. She tried to run towards Annabeth but she was held back by Leo and Jason.

 

“Piper, what are you doing?” Leo asked.

 

“Let me go!” Piper yelled, trying to run to Annabeth. “They can't take her! I can't let them! She saved my life! I need to save her!” A tear rolled down Piper’s cheek as she struggled. Annabeth had done so much for Piper. Annabeth risked her _life_ for Piper. And Piper repaid her by getting her captured.

 

“Release me you bastard!” Annabeth yelled at Octavian, but she couldn't do anything in the net, especially since she was on land. Octavian took Annabeth away with the help of some other pirates. Piper tried to run after them, but Leo and Jason gripped her tightly. Piper finally gave up and looked at the ground.

 

“Piper,” Jason said. “You need to tell us what happened.”

“Annabeth saved my life. I need to save her’s,” Piper whispered, still looking at the ground. She failed. She didn't save Annabeth and she got them into a huge mess.

 

Piper laid on her hammock in her sleeping quarters. She had told Leo, Jason, Percy, and Frank everything that happened since she fell off the ship, leaving out the parts about her and Annabeth’s “relationship” if you could call it that. Piper had trouble falling asleep that night. It had been hours since Annabeth was captured, and at dinner it was announced that she'd be interrogated the next day. Piper desperately wanted to free Annabeth, but she didn't know how. She'd tried to see Annabeth, but the other pirates wouldn't allow it. They had put Annabeth in a room on the ship with a pool of water. It was restricted to everyone besides Reyna, Percy, and Octavian, because he'd authorized the merpeople rule. Piper needed to free Annabeth. Piper was determined, and she wouldn't give up. She _had_ to free Annabeth, somehow.

 

~

 

The door to Annabeth's room opened. She swam to the edge of the small pool to see who it was. As he came in, she saw it was the blond, sickly looking pirate who had captured her.

 

“Hello...Annabeth,” he snarled. “Today is the day of your interrogation. Ready to have some fun?”

 

“You're sick!” Annabeth spat.

 

“I'm not sick. I'm doing my job.”

 

“Fuck you. Let me go _now,_ ”

 

“Yeah, I'm afraid that isn't going to happen. So, how would you like to be transported to the interrogation room? Either I will carry you or my fellow pirates and I will carry you in the net.”

 

“Like I'd want your filthy hands touching me.” Annabeth was filled with anger.

 

“The net it is,” Octavian smirked. “I'll go get it.” The foul boy left the room, no doubt to retrieve the net and his snotty pirate friends. Annabeth put her head in her hands. She'd thought about what had happened in the last 24 hours through the night. At least being captured was better than being executed. Annabeth worried about Piper. Piper must have felt like she failed Annabeth. Annabeth had heard her desperate cries, and it almost broke her heart. It touched Annabeth to see how much Piper cared about her, but it made her sad that Piper was so torn over her. Annabeth hadn't cried. Her eyes were dried out from crying the night before in the cove. But, Annabeth was scared. She was afraid. She had no idea what would happen to her. And there was no way she could know.

 

“We don’t have any water for you to sit in, but I’m sure you’ll do without it,” Octavian said as he wrapped rope around the chair Annabeth was placed in. He and his crewmates had transferred Annabeth to another room to be interrogated. They placed her in a chair and tied her to it. Annabeth didn’t see the point. She was a mermaid. Even if she managed to get off the chair, she wouldn’t even make it to the door. Annabeth tried to fight back, but struggling was useless. She resorted to giving Octavian her signature death glare.

 

“Listen,” Octavian began. Annabeth rolled her eyes, preparing for another one of his douche-y remarks. “Not all the pirates are coming to the interrogation. But, the captain, the assistant captain, our witch, and our best fighters will be coming. That means your little girlfriend will be here. If you two try anything fishy, pun unintended, it’s not going to end well for either of you.” Annabeth’s eyes widened. Piper would be there? Maybe they could communicate somehow. But, Annabeth doubted that would happen.

 

“I’m surprised McLean wasn’t called a traitor,” Octavian scoffed. “Ha! Befriending a mermaid when they could just give to us.”

 

Annabeth was caught off guard by that last sentence. “What do you mean by...give to you?” A devilish smile formed on Octavian’s face. “You’ll find out soon.” And with that he left to get the others. The interrogation was going to begin. Annabeth didn’t try to escape. There was no point. She tried not to make eye contact with the pirates who began to file in. Soon enough, the room was crowded. Octavian stood next to Annabeth the whole time, ready to prevent anything from going wrong. When Annabeth saw familiar locks of brown hair her heart started to pound. She and Piper made eye contact for a moment. Annabeth could see the sadness in Piper’s eyes, and she was sure Piper could see the sadness in Annabeth’s. Piper looked guilty, like it was her fault. Annabeth tried to communicate with Piper, and tell her that nothing was her fault. But before she could try Annabeth, Octavian shot Piper a glare and she hurried to her space in the room.

 

A tall woman walked up to Octavian and started discussing the interrogation with him. She was buff, with long dark hair, beautiful brown skin, and cocoa eyes. She was obviously the captain of the ship. Annabeth could tell by the way she just radiated leadership. She looked like the type of person to lead an army. She tried to hear their hushed voices, but couldn’t pick up anything. The woman moved to the side of Octavian and he moved to the center of the room. He clapped his hands together and began to speak.

 

“Ok, everyone. This is the official interrogation of the mermaid we have captured yesterday, Annabeth Chase. As you all know, our goal was to capture a mermaid and interrogate them to locate their city so we can raid it.” That must have been what Octavian was talking about when he mentioned what Annabeth could give to him and his crew. “Let's get this started, shall we?” Some of the pirates cheered. Some looked uncomfortable. Annabeth could tell they didn't want this to happen. Annabeth tried to find Piper in the crowd, but couldn't.

 

“Ok, if you just answer my questions, this shouldn't be hard,” Octavian said as he moved to face Annabeth. Annabeth glared at him. She debated spitting in his face, he was close enough, but she decided to save it for when he he says a particularly douche-y thing.

 

“Now, tell us everything about your city. What's it called? What are the coordinates? What are its systems of security?”

 

“Go fuck yourself,” Annabeth spat. She wasn't going to tell him anything. She was angry at the people of her city. She hated the rules there. They were going execute her. But Annabeth’s father lived in the city. She didn't want him to get harmed.

 

“Well there's no need to be rude. Tell me now or suffer the consequences.”

 

“What consequences? I'm not afraid of you.” Annabeth squirmed in her chair, trying to loosen the rope, but it didn't work.

 

“These consequences,” Octavian growled. Annabeth felt a cold slap on her cheek. She recoiled from the contact. It didn't hurt that much, she was strong. But she wanted to slap that jerk back.

 

“You little…,” Annabeth began.

 

“I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you,” Octavian interrupted.

 

“Get away from her!” yelled a voice from the crowd.

 

“Piper!” Annabeth yelped.

 

“Shut up McLean or I'll make you jump off the side of the ship, for the second time!” Octavian yelled.

 

“See if I care!” Piper snapped. She emerged from the crowd, trying to defend Annabeth.

 

“Ok, then I'll just take my knife and.” Octavian lifted his dagger out of his sheath and raised it towards Annabeth.

 

“No!” Piper screamed. “I'll...I’ll be quiet.”

 

Octavian smirked. “I knew that would work.” He slipped the knife back into its sheath and turned towards Annabeth again. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Tell me everything about your city or else.”

 

Annabeth leaned forward and spit in Octavian’s face.

 

“AGH!” He moved back quickly and used his hands to wipe the spit off his face. “You're stubborn. Alright, fine. If you won't talk, I'll force you too,” he growled. “Calypso! Come here!”

 

A bit of panic filled Annabeth. If Octavian was calling someone to help him, it couldn't be good. The girl, Calypso, walked to the center of the room, looking a bit reluctant to be there. She had long, caramel colored hair and a white dress with gold spaghetti straps.

 

“Annabeth, meet Calypso, our witch. You refuse to talk. Fortunately, Calypso is very skilled with spells.” He turned towards Calypso. “Make her talk.”

 

“Octavian, a-are you sure? I just, uh, don't think this is a good idea,” Calypso said shyly. She obviously didn't support the interrogation. Annabeth was happy that some people besides Piper were on her side, but she doubted Calypso would be able to do anything to stop Octavian.

 

“Now, this is an interrogation. There's no rules against using force to make someone talk. Is there, Reyna?” Octavian asked and turned to the captain woman. The girl, Reyna, shook her head. “There.” Octavian smiled. “Now, do it Calypso.”

 

Calypso took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She started to chant some strange words that Annabeth couldn't make out. When she was done, Annabeth felt something take over her. She struggled in her chair a bit. She felt the spell steal her voice away from her. Annabeth was powerless.

 

Octavian laughed, power hungry. Annabeth wanted to slap his disgusting face. “Now, Annabeth,” he said, leaning towards her. “Tell me everything about your city.”

 

Annabeth didn't want to tell him. She used all the strength she had to try and hold back the spell. But, she wasn't strong enough. She let out a cry of agony as the spell took her over. Then, Annabeth began to speak in a monotone voice. “My city is called the City of Nera. It's ruled by a democratic government. The barrier is like an unpoppable bubble. It's a dome. There's a secret passageway to get in that I'd be able to show you. There's plenty of valuable items and merpeople you can steal from.” The voice inside Annabeth's head was yelling. She couldn't do this! Her dad was in that city, and she was giving away his location to a gang that wanted to raid the city. Annabeth couldn't stop the monotone voice that wasn't really her, she could only tell her mind. The voice gave Octavian and the pirates the coordinates of the city. The last bit of information they needed. Annabeth had failed. She'd told them where her city was.

 

“That's all I need. Calypso, take away the spell,” Octavian ordered.

 

“Yes, ok,” Calypso stammered. Annabeth must have looked quite strange and creepy, especially with that voice. Calypso chanted more words, and suddenly, the spell was gone. Annabeth took a deep breath and started to breath in and out faster, as if she was hyperventilating. She was free from the spell. She had control over herself again. Annabeth stopped the heavy breathing and glared at Octavian.

 

“Well, that went smoothly. Set a course for the city. Calypso will give us a spell to breathe underwater and we’ll be able to raid the city. Annabeth, you'll have to show us the passageway so we can get in. I've discussed the plan with Reyna and she agreed. We will execute Annabeth in the city to threaten them and say that we’ll do the same to anyone in the city who disobeys us, is that clear? It'll take a couple days to get to the location, so I expect everyone to be ready. That's all for now, you can leave,” Octavian explained. Annabeth was shocked by his proposal. That was the second time someone had threatened to execute Annabeth in the past two days. Annabeth wasn't as scared as the first time, but she was still terrified. They couldn't do that. They couldn't. Annabeth had to escape. But there was no way. She was stuck. She couldn't swim when she was on the boat.

 

The pirates in the room seemed as shocked as Annabeth. They all burst into a chatter of hushed voices, but nobody spoke against Octavian. The captain of the ship was on his side after all, and Annabeth presumed that meant they couldn't disagree. Everyone started to file out slowly. Not a word was sent to Annabeth. Octavian was talking to Reyna in the corner, away from Annabeth’s chair where she was tied up. The ropes were starting to really dig into her skin and hurt.

 

Annabeth turned and tried to find Piper. She spotted Piper and they made eye contact. Piper’s eyes shifted to Octavian and Reyna talking and then back to Annabeth. She quickly ran over to Annabeth and whispered, “I'll save you. Somehow.” Piper ran out of the room before she was caught, and Annabeth was left alone again. Havin Piper next to her made Annabeth long for that kiss they shared before everything went to hell. Annabeth wanted that again. She wanted to be close to Piper. She wanted to hold Piper’s hand, without a care in the world. But that wouldn't happen if Annabeth stayed on the ship.

 

As the ship set a course for the City of Nera, Annabeth could only hope that Piper meant what she'd said, and saved her from the pirates’ clutches.

 

~

 

Piper didn't touch her food. She couldn't. She dragged her fork across the plate as she thought. The pirates wanted to _kill_ Annabeth. And it was all Piper’s fault. Piper had gotten Annabeth into this mess, and Piper had to be the one to get her out of it. If Piper couldn't save Annabeth, she didn't think she'd ever be able to forgive herself.

 

Piper almost didn't notice when Percy came to her table. It was only because he touched her shoulder that Piper looked up from her plate.

 

“Hey,” said Percy. “Can I sit down?”

 

“Sure,” Piper replied.

 

“Hey Perce,” Leo greeted.

 

“Sup bro,” Jason said.

 

“Hey everyone.” Percy sat down in the empty spot next to Piper. “Pipes, you haven't eaten? You okay?” he asked. No. Piper was definitely not okay.

 

“I just...I can't stop thinking about Annabeth. It's all my fault that she got captured, and now she was interrogated, and they're planning to execute her!”

 

“Yeah, I know. I don't know why Reyna’s agreeing to this plan. I've tried to talk to her but she wouldn't tell me anything. I really think it's unfair. The mermaid did nothing wrong.”

Piper moved her dish aside, rested her elbows on the table, and put her head in her hands. “I need to free her,” Piper said. The guilt was taking her over. All she wanted was to be with Annabeth again. When Piper was with Annabeth, she felt happier than ever. She couldn't let Annabeth be executed. “We spent so much time together and I really liked her and she liked me too and w-we kissed and now she'll be executed and it's all my fault!”

 

“Piper,” Leo began. “You didn't tell us.”

 

“I know, I know.”

 

“Pipes, if you really want, we could maybe rescue her. I know it would be breaking rules but you really care about her. We’d just have to go about it in a certain way,” Percy suggested.

 

Piper lifted her head. “I'm listening.” This could be it. Piper’s opportunity to save Annabeth.

 

Leo smiled. “I have an idea. Hear me out. So, we do it around nighttime. Night in the middle of the night where everyone is asleep, but around 11pm so not many people are on the deck. Before we leave, Calypso can give Piper that spell that allows her to breathe underwater. Percy and I will distract the people guarding Annabeth’s room. Percy's allowed in, so they'll believe him if he just tells them that Reyna wants to see them. Then, Piper can get Annabeth, you two can jump off the ship, and Annabeth can lead you to land. Problem solved.”

 

Percy looked like he considered it for a moment and then said, “That's actually a great plan, good job Leo.”

 

“Wait,” Jason interrupted. “Piper, do you really want to leave the ship? I know you want to save Annabeth but if you do, you won't be able to come back.”

 

Piper thought for a moment. Piper loved being on the ship. She loved being a pirate. But, Annabeth was the one thing that made her happier than being a pirate. Like Piper had said to herself, she felt something for Annabeth that she'd rarely felt before. She wanted to be with Annabeth. And yeah, Piper would miss her friends a lot. But, if Piper freed Annabeth and didn't go with her, where would Annabeth go? She couldn't go back to her city and she'd never been very far outside her city. Piper had to stick with Annabeth and she had to free her. “I want to go through with the plan,” Piper answered. “I need to free Annabeth and save her like she saved me. It might be hard, but...I'm willing to do it.”

 

“Okay, that's settled. Calypso, you in?” Percy turned to Calypso, who was sitting in the other side of Piper.

 

Calypso nodded. “Anything to help the mermaid. She's innocent and I never wanted to hurt her.”

 

“I’m in too,” Frank added. He was sitting next to Jason on the other side of the table and had been listening to the conversation. “I hate how the mermaid’s been treated. She, and you Piper, deserve better.”

 

“Alright everyone,” Piper said. “Tonight, we help Annabeth escape.”

  
  


Hours later, the group were all sitting in Piper’s quarters, discussing the plan in more detail.

 

“Ok,” Piper started to explain. “Here’s the review. Calypso will give me the spell so I can breathe underwater. Jason and Frank, you guys cover for us, in case anybody asks where we are or what we’re doing. Percy and Leo, you guys distract whoever is watching the door, just tell them Reyna wants them or something. I’ll sneak into the room, get Annabeth, and try to get out without anybody seeing.”

 

“Sounds like a plan.” Percy nodded.

 

Leo spoke up, “It’s almost 11 o’clock. I think we should get started.”

 

“Alright. And guys. I’ll miss you all. Maybe one day we’ll be able to see each other again.” Piper added. She wanted to go with Annabeth. She did. But, she’d miss her friends too.

“I’m sure we will.” Leo smiled.

 

“Okay, let’s do this,” Percy said, smirking.

 

Piper and Calypso both stood up. Calypso stood in front of Piper and closed her eyes. She started to whisper some words and moved her hands in a precise motion. Piper stood still through the spell. She felt a bit awkward, but she was excited too. Once Calypso stopped chanting, Piper didn’t feel very different.   


“Did it...work?” she asked. She ran her hands over herself, looking for gills or something that would help her breathe underwater.

 

“Yes, it did. There’s no physical evidence, but I promise you’ll be able to breathe underwater for the next 24 hours. So, we better get going,” Calypso explained. Piper smiled. She hoped the plan would work. If it didn’t, Piper didn’t know what she’d do. She went around the room, and hugged everyone. When she hugged Leo and Jason, her best friends, she whispered, “Goodbye. I’ll miss you.” She hugged them for the longest time and when they finally separated. They exchanged bittersweet smiles.

 

“Okay,” Piper said. “Let’s do this!”

  


Piper made sure to stay behind Leo and Percy as they walked up to the door of Annabeth’s room. Piper wished there was a crowd to blend into, but the main deck was mostly empty, aside from the few people wandering about. The night was becoming dark and the waves were calm, almost nonexistent. The only noise was the soft sounds of nighttime conversation and the sounds of the sea. Piper loved that hour, where barely anybody was on top of the ship. It was so calming, and it seemed like a fitting time to leave the ship too.

 

When Percy and Leo reached the door to Annabeth’s room, Piper made sure to walk past it. She hid around the side of the wall and watched Leo and Percy. The person standing in front of the door was a boy, Dakota. Piper was a little confused by the choice of guard. Dakota wasn’t exactly the best person to stand guard and not be distracted. Percy began to speak to Dakota, and since barely anybody on the deck was talking, Piper was able to pick up their conversation easily.

 

“Hey Dakota,” Percy greeted him with a smile.

 

“Oh hey Percy,” Dakota replied. “Hi Leo. What’s up?”

 

“Nothing much. Listen, Reyna told me that she needs you at her office to help her with some things.” Percy hesitated, probably contemplating on whether or not he should send Dakota to Reyna. Reyna probably wouldn’t be happy about it, but it was the only way.

 

“Really? What for?” Dakota asked, a little suspicious.

 

“She promised you kool aid if you helped!” Leo piped up. That caught Dakota’s attention. It was pretty weird, but Dakota had some strange obsession with kool aid. Piper didn’t understand, but she didn’t question it then. Anything to help her free Annabeth.

 

“Alright! I’ll be right there! Watch the room for me, will ya?”

 

“Yep, no problem,” Leo spoke, doing finger guns. Piper almost laughed, he was so ridiculous and always knew how to lighten the mood. Dakota ran off and Percy did a hand motion indicating that Piper should come forward. She walked to the door where Percy and Leo were standing.

 

“Thanks guys,” she said. “Who knew kool aid would work?”

 

“I do have many skills, don’t I?” Leo joked.

 

“Yes, Leo, so many skills.”

 

“Ok, Piper. We probably don’t have much time. So, go on in there! Good luck, and we’ll miss you,” Percy said. Piper took a last look at her friends and smiled. She’d miss them, but she had a feeling that they’d see each other again someday.

 

“Bye guys. Miss you too.” Piper turned to the door, opened it and ran in. Once she was in the room, she didn’t even bother to look around. All she could see was Annabeth. Annabeth sat in the middle of a small pool. Piper didn’t even know they had that on the ship. She sat with her tail up to her chest, like Piper would sit with her knees up to her chest. There seemed to be a ledge in the pool that Annabeth was resting on. Piper stared at Annabeth for a moment, a bit mesmerized. In the dark lighting, the scales on her tale glimmered and shone. Her beautiful curls hung in front of her face and she was staring at the bottom of the pool. Piper hated to think about what Annabeth must have gone through in the past couple days. And it was all Piper’s fault. And that’s why Piper just _had_ to free her.

 

“Annabeth,” Piper whispered as she ran over to her.

 

Annabeth looked up at Piper and her eyes gleamed. “Piper!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” She looked hopeful, yet unsure, no doubt thinking Piper was gonna get caught.

 

“Saving you, like you saved me. I need to pay you back sometime, right?” Piper smirked. “And don’t worry. We can do this.”

 

Annabeth nodded and smiled. She reached her hand out and Piper grabbed it. Piper helped Annabeth out of the water and picked up her. She carried her bridal style. Annabeth wrapped one arm around Piper’s shoulder and neck for support, and left the other one free. “We’re going to escape here. We’re going to jump into the water. I need you to lead me to land. I can breathe underwater for 24 hours, but I’m not nearly as good of a swimmer as you,” Piper explained.

 

“Are you sure you want to leave? I don’t want to make you unhappy.”

 

“I’ve never been so sure of anything. I want to be with you. Is that alright?”

 

“It’s more than alright.” Annabeth smiled. “Let’s go.” Piper nodded and ran out of the room, with Annabeth in her arms. She tried to go as fast as she could, but with Annabeth in her arms, it was pretty difficult to run quickly.   


“Piper! Look!” Annabeth yelled. Piper turned her head to see a couple of pirates running around, yelling. Piper froze for a moment. They were getting the attention of everyone. Piper expected people to notice, but she didn’t prepare herself for a bunch of people on the ship to see. Before Piper knew it, at least five pirates were running at her, threatening. They held swords in their hands. The pirates were yelling at Piper and fighting each other as well. Some tried to prevent others from getting to Piper and Annabeth, while some tried to attack Piper and Annabeth. She heard people screaming things like, “TRAITOR!” and “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PUT THE MERMAID DOWN NOW!” Piper tried to fend off the pirates coming at her. Surprisingly, Annabeth was pretty great at pushing people away while in Piper’s arms. She had a mean punch. Piper ran through the crowd while holding Annabeth, trying to hurry to the side of the ship. She sprinted as Annabeth punched the people who tried to get close to them and finally made it to the edge, well almost.

 

“Not so fast!” the jerk himself Octavian yelled as he slid in front of Piper, blocking the edge of the ship.” Piper groaned, another problem for her to handle. “You’re a traitor!” He spat. “You should be helping your crew! Instead you made an alliance with this...thing! Now you have nowhere to run, and you’ll be forced to give your precious little mermaid back.”

 

Piper smirked. “That’s what you think.” She ran at Octavian with the force of her anger. She was fuming. She finally had the chance to give the prick what he deserved. Once Piper was close enough to Octavian, Annabeth punched him in the face. He almost fell over from the punch. He growled as he started to recover and fight back, but before he could do that, Piper kicked him in the crotch. Octavian fell to the side, clearing the way.

 

“Aaagh, GET THEM!” he shouted, pointing at Piper and Annabeth. Piper looked back at the ship one more time, turned around and jumped over the side of the ship. She’d done it. She’d escaped the ship, and freed Annabeth. Piper let go of Annabeth for a moment once they hit the water so Annabeth could grab Piper’s hand. Once Annabeth was gripping Piper, she started to swim as fast as she could to get away from the ship.

The feeling underwater was strange. Piper was definitely not used to being able to breathe while submerged. It felt just like she was above ground, but she wasn’t. It was nice to not struggle with breathing. It made the swim a lot easier.

 

The two girls swam for a long while, Piper holding onto Annabeth as they looked for land. It gave them a while to think too. They’d successfully escaped the ship and Piper was still getting over the exhilarating feeling. Not to mention Annabeth was holding Piper’s hand the whole time while they were swimming, which definitely set off the butterflies in Piper’s stomach. Piper took her time getting over the relief that Annabeth was okay, and safe. Piper had been so scared, and Annabeth must have been too. Piper was afraid that she’d ruined Annabeth’s life. She was still doubtful. _What if she regrets saving me? Does she really like me or did I somehow force her too?,_ Piper would think. Piper tried to shut that voice up. Annabeth had told Piper on multiple occasions that she enjoyed her company and didn’t regret a single thing.

 

Awhile later, Piper wasn’t sure how long, the girls finally reached land. Piper wasn’t sure where it was, she could care less. Once Annabeth and Piper got into the shallow waters, they both emerged from the ocean, sitting so they could face each other. Although Piper could breathe underwater, she wasn’t all like Annabeth and couldn’t hear much clear sound under the sea, so they hadn’t spoken to each other since they escaped the ship.

 

“Aaah we did it!!” Piper squealed once they sat up. Piper wasn’t the squealing type, but she was so excited she couldn’t contain it. Her smiles spread into a huge smile when she looked at Annabeth.

 

“I know! I know! You were amazing,” Annabeth replied, equally happy. Piper thought the smile on her face was the cutest thing. She loved the way Annabeth’s eyes squinted when she smiled, it was absolutely adorable.

 

“You were too! Who knew you could punch a bunch of bandits in my arms?” Annabeth laughed at Piper’s remark and placed a hand on Piper’s cheek. She went in for a kiss. Piper closed her eyes and savored the moment. She felt her cheeks going red and her heart trying to fly out of her chest. Piper was so glad she’d saved Annabeth. She was afraid she’d never be able to kiss her again. Piper knew it was cheesy, but she couldn’t help it.

 

“So,” Annabeth began as they parted. “What now?” Piper thought about that for a moment. She didn’t really think about what they’d do after they escaped. Piper had only focused on freeing Annabeth. She looked to the side, avoiding eye contact.

 

“Uh, I don’t know,” Piper admitted. “I didn’t really think about what to do after the escape.”

 

“Hey, look at me,” Annabeth said. “I want to spend my time with you. I-I can’t go back to my city, and I don’t know anything about the ocean outside of it. I want to live with you, and explore the world, and just have fun. You made me so happy. Happier than anything in my city made me.”

 

Piper blushed even more at that. “You’re cheesy.”

 

Annabeth laughed, “Oh please, you’re the one who’s blushing all the time.”

 

“Ok, that one’s not just me!”

 

“True. Anyways, there’s just one problem, I’m a mermaid.” _Oh yeah,_ Piper thought. For a moment, she’d forgotten about that, and thought they’d be able to do what Annabeth wanted (and Piper too). Piper looked around the land they were at. It seemed so familiar. Piper had definitely been there before. Then, it hit her. The ship had stopped at the shore where she was a while ago to do repairs. While there, Piper met a witch named Hazel, and they became pretty good friends. Suddenly, Piper had an idea.

“Annabeth, I have an idea,” Piper said. “Stay here in the water. I’ll be back.”

 

“Well I have nowhere else to go.” Annabeth shrugged. Piper stood up out of the water. She was soaking wet, but she ignored it as she ran to shore. It had been a long time since she’d been on land, so it felt good to be standing on the ground. The place they’d landed at was a sandy beach, with trees in the distance. Piper could just barely see a small cottage in the distance, surrounded by the trees. She ran across the beach and through the trees. The sand and grass felt good on her bare feet. (She had taken off her shoes before she rescued Annabeth, because she didn’t want them to fall off and litter the ocean.)

 

Soon enough, Piper reached the cottage. It was made of wood and pretty old, but it had a cozy home-like feeling to it. Some of the walls were covered in vines, and pretty flowers were planted outside the door. Piper knocked on the door. It was opened by Hazel, the witch that could help Piper. Hazel had frizzy, long, dark hair, golden eyes, and beautiful black coffee colored skin. She wore a white shirt that was way to big for her and covered in paint (which made her look smaller than she already was), a long, gold colored skirt, and sandals. Her hair was tied up into a bun and she was holding a couple paintbrushes. When Hazel wasn’t practicing magic, she loved to paint. Hazel smiled when she saw Piper standing outside the door. “Piper!” she exclaimed and gave her a quick hug.

 

“Hi Hazel, It’s great to see you again,” Piper spoke. It really was. Hazel was super nice and definitely was a good friend of Piper’s.

 

“It’s great to see you too! Come in.” Hazel made room in the doorway for Piper to walk into the house. It was small, only one story and there were four rooms. The kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, and the magic/art room. Hazel’s house had a very artsy feel to it. It was decorated with tons of flowers and strange plants. Art hung on the walls and the house was pretty messy, but organized. At first look, it would seem cluttered. But then you realize that everything has an exact place where it’s supposed to go. “Would you like some tea or food?” Hazel asked.

 

“I’m good for now, thank you,” Piper replied. She was pretty hungry, but Annabeth came first. Piper knew Hazel could help her. She just had to ask.

 

“Oh, then come sit down,” Hazel offered. Piper followed Hazel to the couch in her living room, and they sat down together. “So, how are you? Where’s your crew?”

 

“Oh, uh, it’s kind of a long story,” Piper began. She then told Hazel everything that had happened in the past week or so. Hazel listened intently throughout the whole story. “So, yeah,” Piper finished. “When we got here, I remembered that you lived here. I was wondering if you could help me. Like I said, Annabeth wants to be a human. That’s the only way we can do what we both want. I was wondering if you could help.”

 

Hazel thought for a moment and then spoke up. “I can definitely help you. I know a spell that can change someone’s species. It’ll be permanent, unless you come back to me and I reverse it. Are you sure this is what she wants?”

 

“Yes, I am,” Piper replied. “And Annabeth’s smart. If this isn’t what she wants, she’ll say it.”

 

“Ok, let me just get some things.” Hazel stood up from the couch and made her way to her magic room to grab whatever she needed. Piper got up and stood by the door. She leaned against the wall while waiting for Hazel to come back. Soon enough, Hazel came to the door with a white dress and two pairs of sandals in her hand. “I noticed you didn’t have shoes. Here, have these.” Hazel handed Piper one of the pairs. Piper thanked Hazel and slipped them on her feet.

 

The girls walked out of Hazel’s house and back to the beach where Piper and Annabeth had arrived. Piper spotted Annabeth sitting in the water, right where she’d left her. Hazel and Piper waded in the water up to their knees so they could get closer to Annabeth.

 

“Annabeth, this is Hazel Levesque. She’s a good friend of mine and a witch.”

 

Annabeth turned her head to Hazel. “Nice to meet you,” She greeted.

 

“Nice to meet you too,” Hazel said. “Piper has told me that you want to be a human. Are you sure about this? You won’t be able to change back unless you come to me.”

 

“Yes, I’m sure,” Annabeth replied. “This is what I want.”

 

“Okay, I’ll start the spell. Just a warning, you won’t be wearing any clothes when it’s done, that’s why I brought this dress and these sandals,”

 

Piper smirked. “I don’t mind.”

 

Annabeth smiled and rolled her eyes. “Shut up, you’re ridiculous. I’m ready.”

 

Hazel closed her eyes and started to speak. Once again, Piper didn’t understand any of the words the witch was saying. After speaking a bit, Hazel raised her hands up slowly. Annabeth started to float in the air. Light seemed to burst around her and cover her completely. Hazel said the final enchantments, a bit louder then when she first spoke, and then moved her hands back down to her sides. The light around Annabeth dissolved and she fell into the shallow water. PIper ran up to Annabeth and grabbed her arm. She slowly helped the girl stand up. Piper looked down at Annabeth’s new legs. The spell was successful. Annabeth was human.

 

Piper smiled at Annabeth. “It worked.”

 

“It did,” Annabeth replied. “It might take some getting used to, though.” Piper helped Annabeth walk out of the water. She guided her for most of the way, and then slowly let go and let Annabeth try walking on her own. Annabeth soon got the hang of it, and made it shore. “This is so...surreal,” she whispered. Hazel and Piper walked up to her and Hazel handed Annabeth the dress and sandals. Piper helped Annabeth put on the clothes, because she wasn’t used to anything like it. Even dressed in something so simple, Annabeth looked absolutely beautiful. She had moved her hair to one side and made it so her part flipped to one side as well. Her eyes shone as she looked down at her new legs. The smile on her face was so cute and it made Piper melt. “Thank you,” Annabeth said to Hazel. “This is amazing.”

 

“It’s my pleasure. Now, I’ll give you girls some privacy. Feel free to visit my cottage whenever you need anything,” Hazel said, and with that, she started to walk back to her college.

 

Piper stood in front of Annabeth as an awkward silence filled the space around them. “So…,” Piper muttered, trying to start a conversation. Suddenly, Piper felt Annabeth’s arms around her. Annabeth pressed her head into Piper’s shoulder, and Piper hugged back.

 

“Thank you,” Annabeth whispered. “All I’ve ever wanted was to meet a human, explore, and have adventures. And you gave me just that.”

 

Piper smiled. “Well, this is only the beginning of our adventures. We saved each other, I think we’re connected for life.” The two girls separated and went in for another kiss. Piper felt light on her feet. Annabeth was very tall, taller than her, so she now had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss her. Piper felt like she was on cloud nine. Piper and Annabeth separated after the kiss.

 

Piper grabbed Annabeth’s arm. “Come on, dance with me!” She led Annabeth to the middle of the beach and started to dance. Annabeth laughed at Piper, who must have looked a little ridiculous, but she joined in. At first, Annabeth stumbled and fell a bit, but she got the hang of it. Piper twirled Annabeth had moved along to an imaginary beat with the girl of her dreams.

 

Whatever the two girls had, it was fate. Annabeth wanted to explore with Piper and Piper wanted to be with Annabeth. They  wanted to spend their time with the girl that made them happy. Every time they kissed or held hands, Annabeth and Piper both felt the light, tingly feeling of the butterflies in their stomachs. They both still had a long way to go Everything to come was a mystery. Neither of them knew what the future held. But Piper knew one thing while dancing on the beach, she wanted to spend it with Annabeth.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Be sure to leave kudos and a comment <3


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